Sonsbeek Art Projects

After 76 years and twelve editions, Sonsbeek has grown into an essential part of the collective history of Arnhem as well as the personal histories of hundreds of thousands of visitors. Art lovers, casual passersby, walkers, and dog owners encountered artworks that often left lasting impressions. Yet to this day, it has hardly been possible to consult this rich spectrum of stories, documents, and memories in a coherent way. An organized, centrally accessible Sonsbeek Archive is still lacking.

To change that, a first step was taken in 2019 together with cultural center Rozet. In the search for photos, documents, publications, and special memories, it soon became clear that the public itself is our most important partner. Thanks to contributions from visitors of Sonsbeek20→24, we were able to safeguard much new material in recent years. Together with experts and the public, we are now exploring how an innovative digital tool can be developed for participatory archiving.

The archive is accessible as an independent section on Sonsbeek’s new website. This digital archive supports future research, strengthens the connection with the ongoing program, and creates a sense of shared ownership. After all, Sonsbeek belongs to all of us. Through this platform, continuous attention can also be given to works from the past that remain relevant today, and forgotten stories can be made visible again.

Establishing the archive
Sonsbeek has a rich history that must be carefully preserved and shared. In 2019, the first step toward the renewed Sonsbeek Archive was taken, in collaboration with the public, creative makers, thinkers, and partners such as the Gelders Archive, cultural center Rozet, and ArtEZ. The archive is a collection of stories, experiences (oral history), and objects that safeguard the cultural heritage of Sonsbeek art projects and make it accessible to everyone.

Your contribution matters
Do you have Sonsbeek material that you would like to donate or have digitized? Or memories and experiences you’d like to share? Send a message to petra@sonsbeek.org and help us make the archive more complete and richer.

Consulting the archive materials
Most of the Sonsbeek archive is kept at the Gelders Archive in Arnhem. Here you can find information about past editions, artworks, or artists. Use the search function on their website to discover material.

Follow the growth of the archive
Thanks to contributions from the public and partners, a fuller picture of the exhibitions and artists behind Sonsbeek continues to emerge. Follow us to discover unique, sometimes still hidden histories.

2021

Sonsbeek20→24: Force Times Distance, On Labour and its Sonic Ecologies

2 July – 29 August 2021, Park Sonsbeek and other locations, Arnhem

Under the leadership of Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, Sonsbeek20→24 presented the 12th edition of the international art project as a multi-year trajectory, launched in 2020 and originally intended to celebrate Sonsbeek’s 75th anniversary in 2024. Together wi…

Sonsbeek20→24: Force Times Distance, On Labour and its Sonic Ecologies

2016

Sonsbeek 2016: transACTION

4 June – 18 September 2016, Park Sonsbeek and other locations, Arnhem

In 2016, the Indonesian curatorial collective ruangrupa presented Sonsbeek’16: transACTION, an edition that focused primarily on connection, interaction, and participation. The emphasis was on collaboration with residents, local communities, and visitors, wher…

2008

Sonsbeek 2008: Grandeur

14 June – 21 September 2008, Park Sonsbeek, Arnhem

For the tenth edition of Sonsbeek, art critic and curator Anna Tilroe took the lead. With her exhibition Grandeur, she focused on the role of art in 21st-century Western society. Tilroe observed a time of significant change: politics, the economy, climate, and…

2001

Sonsbeek 2001/Sonsbeek 9: Locus Focus

2 July – 29 August 2001, Park Sonsbeek and other locations, Arnhem

At Sonsbeek 9, under the title Locus Focus, Belgian curator Jan Hoet focused on three distinct locations in Arnhem, each with its own character: Park Sonsbeek as a cultural site, the Eusebius Church as a historical landmark, and the Kronenburg shopping center …

1993

Sonsbeek 1993

2 July – 29 August 1993, Park Sonsbeek and other locations, Arnhem

With every new Sonsbeek exhibition, the question arises: how do you present art in the park? For Sonsbeek ’93, the American curator Valerie Smith developed a completely unique vision. She decided to expand the park to include Arnhem’s city center and surroundi…

1986

Sonsbeek ’86

2 July – 29 August 1986, Park Sonsbeek and other locations, Arnhem

Fifteen years after the much-discussed 1971 edition, Sonsbeek returned with a new exhibition: Sonsbeek ’86. In contrast to the radical, international experiments of Buiten de Perken (Out of Bounds), this edition was smaller and less daring, with a clear focus …

1971

Sonsbeek ’71: Sonsbeek buiten de perken (Sonsbeek Beyond the Pale)

19 June – 15 August 1971, throughout the Netherlands (10 provinces)

Sonsbeek ’71, under the evocative title Sonsbeek Buiten de Perken (Sonsbeek Out of Bounds), marked a radical break with previous editions. For the first time, the exhibition had a curator, museum director Wim Beeren, and worked with a clear theme: spatial rela…

Sonsbeek ’71: Sonsbeek buiten de perken (Sonsbeek Beyond the Pale)

1966

Sonsbeek ’66: Fifth international sculpture exhibition

27 May – 25 September 1966, Park Sonsbeek, Arnhem

The fifth edition of Sonsbeek in 1966 marked a clear break with previous exhibitions. For the first time, the selection of artworks was not made by a jury of sculptors, but by a working committee of artists and professionals from art institutions. Sonsbeek aim…

Sonsbeek ’66: Fifth international sculpture exhibition

1958

Sonsbeek ’58: International sculpture exhibition in the Open Air

15 June – 15 September 1958, Park Sonsbeek, Arnhem

In 1958, the fourth edition of Sonsbeek took place, featuring no fewer than 337 artworks by artists from ten European countries. The exhibition still emphasized the French sculptural tradition, which was regarded as the foundation for modern sculpture.Notably,…

Sonsbeek ’58: International sculpture exhibition in the Open Air

1955

Sonsbeek ’55: International sculpture exhibition in the Open Air

28 May – 15 September 1955, Park Sonsbeek, Arnhem

In 1955, Park Sonsbeek was once again filled with bronze and stone sculptures, spread across the grass around De Witte Villa. The exhibition was curated by a jury of art experts and members of the Dutch Circle of Sculptors, who selected both established and in…

Sonsbeek ’55: International sculpture exhibition in the Open Air

1952

Sonsbeek ’52: International Sculpture Exhibition

30 May – 15 September 1952, Park Sonsbeek, Arnhem

Following the success of Sonsbeek ’49, the second edition of the exhibition took place in 1952. The concept and goal were similar: to display art in the open air and introduce the public to contemporary sculpture. As with the first edition, a jury of art exper…

Sonsbeek ’52: International Sculpture Exhibition

1949

Sonsbeek ‘49: European Sculpture in the Open Air

1 July – 18 September 1949, Park Sonsbeek, Arnhem

In 1949, a remarkable exhibition took place in Park Sonsbeek in Arnhem: Sonsbeek ’49 – European Sculpture in the Open Air. The memory of World War II was still fresh, and the city clearly bore the scars of the bombings. Sonsbeek ’49 offered the people of Arnhe…

Sonsbeek ‘49: European Sculpture in the Open Air